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Student-Run, Student-Written, Student-ProducedTue, 31 Mar 2015 20:15:56 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Tich’s Takehttps://www.liberty.edu/champion/2015/03/tichs-take-17/
https://www.liberty.edu/champion/2015/03/tichs-take-17/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 16:20:21 +0000https://www.liberty.edu/champion/?p=27992Continue reading]]>The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award has always meant more in the NBA than in all other American professional sports.

Baseball essentially has four MVPs per season (American League and National MVP and Cy Young awards). Wayne Gretzky might still be getting the Hart Trophy (the NHL’s MVP award) every year. And football gave an MVP to a kicker one time. Yes, the dude who kicks field goals and extra points.

The NBA is the only one of the four major professional American sports leagues where every MVP is a Hall of Famer. Derrick Rose is the only player remotely threatening to end that streak, and that is only because his knees decided they hated him. The bottom line: the MVP matters way more in the NBA than any other league.

And this year features a particularly juicy MVP race. The reigning MVP (Kevin Durant) has missed most of the season with various injuries. The injury bug also found Anthony Davis, who was having one of the best two-way seasons in recent history. Still, the list of potential deserving candidates is longer than normal.

Historically, MVP races are between two or three players, if there is even a race at all. Durant and LeBron James have won the past two MVPs and received a combined 239 of a possible 246 first-place votes.

It is impossible to talk about any MVP discussion without mentioning James. From 2010 to 2014 — the time period when James was in Miami after leaving Cleveland — the Cavaliers were the worst team in basketball, owning a 97-215 record during that stretch.

After a slow start, the Cavaliers have won 18 of their past 22 games, claiming their place as prohibitive favorites in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, James’ former team, the Miami Heat, has been mediocre, sitting at 25-33 as of March 2. James is still probably the best and most important player in basketball, even if he is not having the best individual season.

While it may not be traditional to give MVP to a player on a team not contending for the top few seeds in the conference, Russell Westbrook may force voters to reconsider. After all, there is nothing traditional about the season Westbrook is having.

The Oklahoma City point guard has been an absolute force of nature, putting the Thunder into playoff position with Durant sidelined. Over the past 11 games, the Thunder are 8-3 with Westbrook averaging 31.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 9.9 assists.

If those numbers did not pop off the page and punch you in the face, read that sentence again. Now go ice your jaw.

Those two are both deserving candidates, and we have not even mentioned the two MVP favorites yet — Stephen Curry and James Harden.

Curry might be the most popular player in the league and is absolute must-see TV every time he takes the court. No other player combines deadly shooting, passing and dribbling abilities as potently as Golden State’s point guard. Curry is more of a basketball artist than basketball player.

Everyone would be fine with Curry winning MVP — he is the unquestioned star of the league’s dominant team, a near-perfect teammate and as likeable of a star that has ever played in the NBA.

Still, the MVP should not go to the player that would be the most fun to see win. It should go to the player who is the most valuable to his team — a player who has taken his team above and beyond thanks to remarkable individual excellence.

So far during the 2014-2015 season, that player has been James Harden.

Harden has tortured defenders with a steady mix of step-back jumpers, crafty drives and foul-drawing voodoo all year. With his defense no longer Vine-worthy, the Rockets have transformed into the seventh-best defensive team in the league en route to the West’s third-best record. Even with Dwight Howard dealing with knee issues, the Rockets have stayed near the top of the treacherous Western Conference.

Not only is he leading the league in scoring with 27 points per game, he is 10th in assists per game and fifth in steals. No matter whom the Rockets play, Harden leaves the deepest imprint on the game.

Sorry, Kevin Durant’s mom, James Harden is the real MVP this year.

TICHENOR is the sports editor.

]]>https://www.liberty.edu/champion/2015/03/tichs-take-17/feed/0Tich’s Takehttps://www.liberty.edu/champion/2015/02/tichs-take-15/
https://www.liberty.edu/champion/2015/02/tichs-take-15/#commentsTue, 17 Feb 2015 18:48:31 +0000https://www.liberty.edu/champion/?p=27766Continue reading]]>Revenge of the nerds — this is what NBA legend Charles Barkley thinks is happening to the NBA.

On “Inside the NBA,” the studio pregame and postgame show that accompanies TNT’s NBA broadcasts, Barkley had some interesting things to say about the use of statistics and analytics in basketball.

“I’ve always believed analytics is crap,” Barkley said. “It’s just some crap that some people who were really smart made up to get in the game because they had no talent. … All these guys who run these organizations that talk about analytics, they have one thing in common — they’re a bunch of guys who never played the game and never got the girls in high school, and they just want to get in the game.”

I actually like Barkley for the most part. His candidness is refreshing and entertaining. Sometimes “Inside the NBA” is more exciting than the game around it. But as entertaining as Barkley can be, he can be ignorant on certain issues.

However, before trying to understand Barkley’s comments, there needs to be an understanding of what analytics are. While some of the formulas for statistics like effective shooting percentage or player efficiency rating may seem complex, the most difficult mathematical functions involved in these “advanced” statistics are multiplication and division. “Metrics” like points allowed per 100 possessions do nothing more than give an equal sample size when looking at how many points they give up, giving a more accurate look of how good a team is defensively without worrying about pace.

Despite what Barkley or other opponents of advanced statistics may think, analytics are actually quite simple. Like any statistic, analytics are simply an attempt to quantify what happens on the court in numerical form.

Analytics are also partially responsible for the movement away from isolation-heavy basketball to ball-movement-heavy, three-point-launching basketball. Teams that paid attention to statistics realized a simple concept — the three-point shot is worth more than the two-point shot. For years, stubborn coaches ignored the three-point line as a weapon, choosing to almost ignore it as part of their offensive attack.

Now, pretty much every successful team jacks up threes at a high rate. The top 10 teams in three-point attempts are all probable playoff teams. It is not a difficult concept, but for a long time the weaponization of the three-pointer was seen as a gimmick rather than a legitimate strategy.

Analytics are not just employed by people behind desks in front offices, coaches and players are embracing them.

Still, the majority of analytics staffs around the NBA are what guys like Barkley would qualify as nerds. And sure, most analytics people were never talented enough to play the game past high school or at all. Barkley is right about that. However, just because a person only grows to be 5-foot-7 does not disqualify him or her from loving and understanding basketball. Plenty of people who have never played basketball have an advanced knowledge of what a good basketball player looks like.

There is a misconception that people who love using statistics do not watch the games. In reality, they probably watch more games than anyone. Analytics are just one of the many ways to help understand basketball better.

But they did not help anyone get the girls in high school, so they probably do not matter.

Make no mistake, the Lakers are going to be bad. Really bad. Like, Wesley-Johnson-is-penciled-into-the-starting-lineup bad. As unlikely as it may be, Bryant is still eyeing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record and is sitting about three high-scoring seasons away from approaching it. When the Lakers are heading into the All-Star break with 15 wins, what is stopping Bryant from taking 30 shots a game? This needs to happen.

2. Stephen Curry will take 700 three-pointers.

The NBA record for three-point attempts in a season is 678 by George McCloud during the ’95-’96 season. With Steve Kerr on board as the Warriors head man, look for Curry to be utilized to his absolute fullest. Unless his ankles flare up, it is a decent bet that Curry will be chucking at an unprecedented rate. For a guy who has shot 44 percent from downtown for his career, why not throw up nine or 10 threes per game?

3. Rajon Rondo will be traded to the Hornets.

The NBA record for three-point attempts in a season is 678 by George McCloud during the ’95-’96 season. With Steve Kerr on board as the Warriors head man, look for Curry to be utilized to his absolute fullest. Unless his ankles flare up, it is a decent bet that Curry will be chucking at an unprecedented rate. For a guy who has shot 44 percent from downtown for his career, why not throw up nine or 10 threes per game?

4. Carmelo Anthony will win the scoring title.

With Kevin Durant missing a huge chunk of the season and possibly not qualifying, Anthony is a no-brainer to win his second scoring title in three years. Curry and James Harden might challenge him, and Russell Westbrook will put up plenty of points while Durant is sidelined, but it will be a shock if somebody other than Anthony leads the league in scoring this year.

5. Anthony Davis will finish third in MVP voting.

We knew Anthony Davis would be good. Out of high school, he was the No. 1-rated recruit in the nation. In his only year at the University of Kentucky, Davis won Player of the Year and brought a National Championship to Lexington. He was an obvious choice to be drafted No. 1 overall in the subsequent NBA Draft by the Hornets in 2012. In his second season, the unibrowed big man led the league in blocks and showed off a versatile offensive skillset. “The Brow” will win an MVP award before his career is done.

6. People will learn how to spell Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name.

Or everyone could just call him “The Alphabet” or “The Greek Freak.” Either way, he is going to become more than just a rookie who played better than expected. Bucks Head Coach Jason Kidd loves Antetokounmpo and has even toyed with playing the 6-foot-10 19 year old at point guard. He is going to be fun to watch.

7. Andrew Wiggins will win Rookie of the Year.

Jabari Parker is going to put up numbers in Milwaukee, but Wiggins’ immediate impact will be felt more than most are suspecting. He is already an elite athlete, even by NBA standards, and the Timberwolves have the personnel to take advantage of that. The Wiggins Rookie Highlight Reel might end up at Sundance.

8. The Hawks will finish third in the East.

Al Horford missing almost two-thirds of last year with a torn pectoral killed the Hawks’ season. While he may not have the name recognition of other top big men, Horford is one of the best in the league. Look no further than the Hawks performance with and without Horford last year. In 29 games with Horford, they went 16-13. Without Horford: 22-31. Horford and the Hawks will be ready to swoop in on the regressing top half of the Eastern Conference this year.

9. The Knicks will be good again.

Or at least make the playoffs. Everything went wrong at the start of last season, and the Knicks were still fighting for a playoff spot until the final week of the season. Carmelo Anthony is too good and the addition of Jose Calderon will be a steep upgrade from Raymond Felton. And steep is a vast understatement. If only Andrea Bargnani was not involed.

10. The Raptors will miss the playoffs.

The new-look Cavaliers are a lock to get into the postseason after a four-year drought, and talented Knicks and Pistons teams now boast competent coaches. After a year when everything went right in Toronto, the Raptors are due for some bad luck. No team lost fewer players to injury last year, and it is doubtful that Kyle Lowry can replicate what was far and away a career year. Last year just seemed all too fluky.

11. The Sixers will lose at least 70 games.

The slogan of the PGA Tour is “these guys are good.” The slogan of the ’14-’15 Philadelphia 76ers might as well be “these guys are bad.” Front office brass has not been shy about their desire to lose in order to build a future winner. Their two lottery picks from this past draft, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, may not play a game for the Sixers this season between them. With Michael Carter-Williams sidelined with a shoulder injury, the Sixers best player on opening night may be Nerlens Noel, who has never played in an NBA game.

12. The Clippers will finish first in the West.

The most important free agent signee not named LeBron? Spencer Hawes. Yeah, I said it. Since Chris Paul arrived from New Orleans in 2011, the Clips have been right up there with the upper echelon Western Conference powers. Their weakness: a reliable backup big man who could spell Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan. Hawes is no Shaquille O’Neal, but he has started 338 games over the past six seasons and can stretch the floor. It is time for a new look atop the West’s standings.

13. Steve Kerr will win Coach of the Year.

Kerr’s basketball knowledge has always been outstanding, whether it was during his tenure as general manager in Phoenix or as an analyst for TNT. A former player who embraces the modern game, Kerr will demand the respect of the Warriors while bringing in a much more organized scheme than the Dubs had under former coach Mark Jackson. Golden State has enough talent to make a deep run into the playoffs.

14. LeBron James will win his fifth MVP award.

With Durant slated to miss up to two months, James almost has to win Most Valuable Player by default. It is just wrong to give it to another player besides those two. James and Durant’s level of play is on another planet right now. There is not an argument that there is a player more valuable to his team. Unless the Cavs are a disaster and fail to win 50 games or something, James will tie Michael Jordan, Bill Russell and Abdul-Jabbar as the only five-time MVP-winners.

15. The Cavaliers will win the NBA Finals.

LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and co. will defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games to win the NBA Championship. The curse of Cleveland will finally end. At least for one year.

]]>https://www.liberty.edu/champion/2014/10/tichs-nba-preview-15-predictions-for-2014-2015/feed/0Editorial: Putting their bodies on the linehttps://www.liberty.edu/champion/2014/01/editorial-putting-their-bodies-on-the-line/
https://www.liberty.edu/champion/2014/01/editorial-putting-their-bodies-on-the-line/#commentsTue, 21 Jan 2014 20:44:53 +0000http://www.liberty.edu/champion/?p=24175Continue reading]]>The art of the flop has taken the NBA by storm over the past few seasons, led by reigning MVP LeBron James

Miami Heat forward LeBron James is lightly bumped by Indiana Pacers forward David West during the NBA playoffs last season, so James and West both do the natural thing anyone in their right mind would do — wave their hands, spin around and fall to the floor in sheer agony and pain.

THE KING — LeBron James has learned to exaggerate slight contact. Photo credit: Keith Allison

Rather than this play being appreciated for the great skill both displayed as they fell to the floor, many have deemed this play a “flop” or even “Lebroning” by both players.
What most fans do not realize about this play is that James does not even know how to flop.

“I don’t need to flop,” James said to the Associated Press. “I play an aggressive game, but I don’t flop. I’ve never been one of those guys. I don’t need to flop. I don’t even know how to do it. So it doesn’t mean much to me.”

Many misinterpreted what James said when he said this. But what is there not to understand? Clearly James is a talented basketball player, as well as an actor, not a “flopper” as some analysts have called him.

In fact, many Hollywood actors would not even attempt the stunts that James tries during games. Rather, they have stunt doubles who take the risk of pretending to fall or be punched in the face. So, for those who criticize James for flopping, shame on you for not applauding the risk he takes while acting.

Those risks were evident when guard Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs was injured during a flop against the Boston Celtics last season.

So when those athletes such as James or Ginobili make the gutsy decision to fall helplessly toward the ground and flail their arms in distress after minimal or even no contact, they put their careers at risk.

These star athletes who have been taking courageous dives for the betterment of their team have been severely punished by the league for their flops.

Last season the NBA and Commissioner David Stern implemented a new rule that if a play is determined to be a flop, they could fine the player a whopping $5,000.

Shame on you, David Stern. This is yet again another power grab by the league and also a harsh scare tactic. Does Stern realize that these players are expected to make a living and provide for their families so that food can be put on the table?

With the outrageous fines, Stern has forced players such as James to decide between his team and family. Do you take a dive in a game to help your team, but risk that $5,000 that could be used for your child’s education? Questions like these are surely running through the minds of every NBA player.

While the flop may be something new to American fans of the NBA and even the NFL, its roots can be traced back to Europe and South America in the sport of soccer.

According to the Britannica encyclopedia, soccer is the most popular sport in the word. But it has not been accepted here in America because Americans fans are ignorant of the flop, as seen by the fine system implemented in the NBA.

Fans across the world have accepted the beauty, technique and passion behind each and every flop their star player takes for his or her team to draw a penalty.

Is it a coincidence that soccer is called the beautiful game and exhibits more flopping than any other sport? I would argue that it is not.

Instead of criticizing players such as James, we should be praising him for attempting to break a barrier, which has set back sport in America for decades. In order for sports such as basketball to catch up to soccer, the flop must be embraced not only by the players, but also by the league and the American fans.

]]>https://www.liberty.edu/champion/2014/01/editorial-putting-their-bodies-on-the-line/feed/0Editorial: The effects of one-and-donehttps://www.liberty.edu/champion/2013/12/editorial-the-effects-of-one-and-done/
https://www.liberty.edu/champion/2013/12/editorial-the-effects-of-one-and-done/#commentsTue, 03 Dec 2013 21:02:02 +0000http://www.liberty.edu/champion/?p=24000Continue reading]]>Let the athletes, not the NBA, decide their fate

Derrick Battle – The last player to be drafted out of high school to the NBA was Toronto Raptors forward Amir Johnson in 2005. Since then, the NBA has said that players must be one year removed from high school or be at least 19 years old during the year of the draft.

One of the projected “one-and-dones” of this season is current Kansas University freshman forward Andrew Wiggins, who is projected to be the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

Another is Duke University forward Jabari Parker, who is projected to be the second overall pick. They are just two of six freshmen who are projected by ESPN.com to be drafted in the top 10 next June.

Although critics of amateur athletes coming out of high school and the one-and-done rule say that these athletes do not care about school and use it as a quick stepping-stone to play professionally and make money, but I beg to differ. I am a proponent of the rule that allows a player to make an early enterance into the NBA. If an NBA scout says to a player after one year of college ball, “You have the talent to play in the league,” he should take every chance to make that happen.

Players that have made a name for themselves in the NBA after one year in college include New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love and Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose.

However, these players were out of work prior to the start of the 2011-12 season due to disagreements between players and owners.

The NBA lockout during the 2011-2012 season was an eye-opener for many who did not finish school, because the risk of not having a season would have meant a season without pay.

But what critics do not know is that these players still have a chance to go back to school and finish. No matter what sport athletes play, they are aware of “father time.”

During the offseason, Irving finished his degree at Duke University. Davis, along with his former Kentucky Wildcat teammate and current Charlotte Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist both tweeted that they are going back to school to work toward their degrees.

According to an article by Marcus Spears of yahoosports.com, several former UCLA players have returned to finish their degrees as well, including Love, Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook, Washington Wizards forward Trevor Ariza and Sacramento Kings forward Luc Mbah a Mounte.

“We have a whole lot of our lives after basketball,” Ariza said to yahoosport.com. “We have to understand what we want to do when (retirement) comes. A lot of us came out of college really young, and we have no idea what we want to do with our lives if basketball doesn’t work out.”

Many basketball fans may be saying, “Well he should have stayed in school and finished so that he would not be in this predicament.” But I disagree.

If you were given a chance to play professionally after a year of college and make guaranteed money, would you take that chance and still go to school? I bet many would pick the first idea instead of the latter. Many of these athletes know they cannot play forever, so they are being proactive on and off the court.

High school athletes should have the right to make decisions that best fit their futures, not the NBA.

Emily Brown – The sport of basketball has come a long way since James Naismith’s peach baskets in the late 1800s, and the passing years have brought not only a number of new rules, but also controversy. Issues such as instant replay, and especially the issue of the “one-and-done” rule, have been highly debated.

The term “one-and-done” is used by basketball enthusiasts to describe players who have played in college for a year before making a quick exit to the NBA.

“According to the NBA Players Association website, the “one-and-done” idea specifically refers to Article X of the 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement, which states that players who plan to enter the NBA Draft must be or turn 19 years old during the year the draft is held, and players must be one year removed from high school.

Basketball fans across the nation are pretty divided on the issue.

Those opposed to the measure may first ask, “What about Kobe Bryant and Lebron James?” They are stars who did not even go to college.

On the other hand, some strongly support Article X. Proponents cite players such as Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant, who both played in college for a year. They argue that because they played in college, their skill levels increased, which helped them to become the star players they are today.

Although many think the issue can be answered with a simple “yes, I agree” or “no, I disagree,” there are many more complexities to the rule than may first be seen. I tend to believe that the rule should be modified.

I do believe it is good for players to be required to attend college for a year, if not more. In that year, players are able to hone their skills. Because there is a huge disparity in skill level and type of play, making the leap from the amateur to the professional level is probably not a smart decision for most. A year in college will bridge the gap, and during that time players can also learn to become more mature off the court.

Furthermore, spending a year or more in college allows players to experience more than just basketball. By attending college, they can get an education and maybe even a degree, which will be especially useful in the event they do not make it big in the NBA. For example, although Brandan Wright, the eighth overall pick in the 2007 draft, did attend UNC for a year, he has been unable to perform at the high level expected of him due to injury. Or take Javaris Crittenton, who is also a “one-and-done.” The former Georgia Tech player got himself into trouble following a gun incident involving Gilbert Arenas and has only ever been considered a backup in the NBA. Perhaps with college degrees, Wright and Crittenton could do more than just sit on the bench.

To address the Bryant and James issue, simply take a look at Durant and Anthony. The latter two spent a year in college and are still stars in the NBA. While it is obvious that Bryant and James are extremely talented, who is to say that they could not be even better with some college experience under their belts?

In the end, I believe that the rule should be modified to require players to attend college for at least two years. This rule would provide players the chance to develop skills and become more mature as they recieve a quality education to use in the event the NBA does not work out.

So while the rule may not be perfect, I think it is better than nothing.